Effective Ways to Concentrate at Work

  

Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus. ~ Alexander Graham Bell

There are many things you can do to concentrate on your work. Here is the list:

1. Be Comfortable: Is the working environment conducive to mental concentration? Is it well-lit but not too bright? Is your desk tidy without clutter? Sitting next to a window and allowing you to look far away or putting a pot of plants on your desk is a great way to lift your mood, calm your mind and get you into the mood to focus on your work.

2. Eating right: Get your energy and nutrition from your breakfast. It is the right way to start a new day to be alert and energized. Drinking plenty of water is to keep your body and brain hydrated and maintain your attention span.

3. Avoid distractions: Checking email less often, avoiding drop-in visitors, and telephone calls are effective ways to do work without interruptions.  

4. One task at a time: Your mind can only work on one task at a time. Multitasking is stressful and reduces your power to concentrate. Doing one task at a time is the best way to work smoothly and avoid making mistakes.  

5. Plan ahead: Concentration comes naturally when you are on top of things. Getting organized and working on your to-do list according to your priorities are the ways to get things done.

6. Mindfulness: Meditations can relax your mind, reduce your stress and promote mindfulness. It means you pay attention to only the task at hand and think of nothing else.

7. Take breaks: Taking breaks and working without rushing about are ways to reduce stress at work. Maintaining your alertness and refreshing your mind are good methods to boost concentration. 

8. Match important work to your peak energy: Do the most important tasks when your mind is fresh and alert to perform your best. Morning is the best time for me to tackle important tasks because my mind is fresh and my energy is at its peak after a good night’s sleep. When do you work best?

9. Solve problems: When there is a problem nagging you, you are surely disturbed and not be able to do work with concentration. Solve a problem quickly and get it out of your mind.

10. Keeping fit and healthy: Do you sleep well every night? Sound sleep repairs damages done to your body and restores your energy. Insufficient sleep curtails your ability to concentrate during the day. Do you exercise regularly? It is an effective and healthy way to expend energy and obtain energy for better concentration.   

11. Motivation: Motivation contributes to better concentration. You work with your heart and mind when you do things  you enjoy and get  you closer to your goals   

The first law of success ... is concentration: to bend all the energies to one point, and to go directly to that point, looking neither to the right nor the left. ~ William Matthews

Can You Concentrate and be Focused?

"The weakest living creature, by concentrating his powers on a single object, can accomplish good results while the strongest, by dispersing his effort over many chores, may fail to accomplish anything. Drops of water, by continually falling, hone their passage through the hardest of rocks but the hasty torrent rushes over it with hideous uproar and leaves no trace behind."
Og Mandino

I have found that the following factors are the ingredients of concentration, a mental faculty: 

• Avoid distraction: If you are working on the PC close all browser tabs and show only the program that you are working on, be it a word processor or spreadsheet. Work in a quiet place with little or no people movements.  Install proper lighting which is soothing and bright. Clear your table of all unwanted items not relating to your work.

The effectiveness of work increases according to geometrical progression if there are no interruptions- Andre Maurois

• Do one thing at a time:  Your mind can only concentrate on one thing at a time. Do not shift focus from one thing to another. It is stressful and tiring and you will be prone to errors and mistakes.

To do two things at once is to do neither - Publilius Syrus

• Find meaning in things you have to do: There must be a purpose in doing a thing. If the reason is not compelling you may not be motivated to do the job. Thus, there are no concentration and focus.

• Interest: The easiest way to concentrate and pay full attention and to be in the flow is by doing things you are passionate about and interested in.

• Peace of mind: It is a state of mind that you are in the present. You are not thinking about the past or worrying about the future. You just concentrate on the task at hand mindfully.

• Sleep: Insufficient sleep will reduce the power of the mind to concentrate. Don’t burn the candle at both ends and expect yourself to work in peak mental efficiency.

• Exercise: Exercise is more than good for health and physical fitness. You get a calm mind and you can concentrate well. Do aerobic exercise such as jogging to send more oxygen to your brain.

• No unsolved problems: This is a major hindrance to mental concentration. Your mind is on the problem and there is no way for you to work on the project at hand with full concentration. Solve the problem quickly to get it out of your mind so that you can work at ease.

The secret to success in any human endeavor is total concentration - Kurt Vonnegut

Concentration - 5 Powerful Tips to be More Efficient at Work

Concentration

Image source: https://food.ndtv.com/health/how-to-improve-your-concentration-9-smart-tips-1431720

You have your to-do list ready for the day, but your inbox is loaded. Your boss is asking for a special report immediately. There is an urgent phone call to make right away. How do you juggle all these tasks with your fullest concentration? Here are the top tips:

1. Sufficient Sleep: One of the factors that contribute to your razor-sharp concentration is when you have enough sleep. Sufficient rest recharges your battery and provides you with the energy to tackle a day’s work.

2. Do one thing at a time: You can’t do two things at a time, can you? While you are busy with your work your mind is thinking of so many things to do. The best thing is that you write down all the things in your mind and prioritize them. In this way, your mind is free of clutter so that you can focus on the task at hand.

3. Take a break: As the day goes by your concentration capability reduces. So, it is good to take a break, such as a tea break. A short break will restore your power of concentration when you go back to your workstation.

4. Working environment: Make sure that there is no noise disturbance. Your table is tidy and pleasing to your eyes. A messy desk will disturb your mind and also your concentration. Get rid of unnecessary items on your table. Ensure that there is sufficient lighting at your workplace for you to work comfortably.

5. Do not eat and work: You think you can save time by eating and working at the same time? You are wrong. When you are not concentrating on eating you may overeat because your mind is not sending you the correct signal to tell you that you are full. It is an unhealthy habit. Go out to have your lunch but eat slowly and chew each mouthful.